Bubba

Looks a whole lot like the Pirelli Angel GTs, too, with a bit more siping.

Jeez. If this crew is as screwed up and sarcastic on the annual Gap trip as they are on the forum, I've gotta make it a point to go one year just to get some new material to abuse my friends....er, acquaintances with. No salty pirate, tho....

Justin: Prolly not a huge issue, but I've always had a slight concern that the petroleum based WD-40 would react with the rubber at the bead. I always sneak into the wife's pantry and "borrow" her vegetable cooking spray to use as a lubricant for mounting. Works better than soapy water with no chance of leaving any moisture inside the carcass to cause rim corrosion and degrades quickly. Try it--you'll like it!

Apply Tire Shine as a final coat to help maintain that new glossy appearance!

Hmmm. Dunno what happened to the link. Since when couldn't we embed Googlemap links in OR?

Not sure what your timing is for the rest of the day, but the reprise of the old Alley Meet the morning of the Oregonia Hillclimb event is at Fuel Coffee on Riverside Dr from 8-12. There's always a bunch of bikes and riders, some of whom will head to the Oregonia event and some of whom will find each other for a ride of some sort, likely into NKY. I'll be there about 9ish, but not sure yet if I can break away for a longer ride after coffee. Even if you just stop in for a minute to say "Hi", check it out.

Big thanks to Mike at RidersDiscount for setting me up with these gloves. Nicest pair of "paws" I've ever had. The fit was exactly as spec'd on the Scorpion website and they are seriously heavy-duty, at least for street. Not sure I'd pay the MSRP of $250, but at the out-the-door price of $95, I can't see finding anything as nice for half again as much. Check 'em out if you're looking for new gloves!!!

Most of you know I'm one of the old guys here. Less than a month away from 67and riding since I was 14. Have been away from riding several times thru the years. Couldn't tell you 'zactly when or for how long, but it prolly doesn't matter. At least once was due to finances. At least once was due to fatal accidents by riding friends. At least once was due to lack of energy for the whole riding scene. Bottom line, I'd say if it feels right for you, go ride. Stop when it no longer feels right. Sell your stuff when you're not using it #becausedepreciableasset. Buy new, better stuff if you decide to throw a leg over again. Yer welcome.

Gotta say I'm not on-board with the FTP movement....and yeah, the guy was a felon with an open warrant, but I don't understand how a stop initiated because he was riding a bike without lights after dark and then running away when the Popo tried to cuff him leads to "fearing for their lives" and justifies use of deadly force and being shot in the back. Let's face it. They knew exactly who he was (had already identified him during the stop) and wouldn't have had too much trouble running him down later.

Put the battery on a real charger, not just a tender. Figure out how many AHs it takes and slow charge it to mostly full, then take it to your local AP dealer and have it tested. If the battery is "good" and takes a charge, then I'd look to your charging system.

PM sent.

I'm one who actually rides all winter if road conditions don't suck. Just to prove that @Tonik is a grumpy, cheap bastard, I'll give ya $20 but you gotta ship 'em to me. Not gonna drive to NE Ohio for these. Lemeno.

How old, worn and dry is the chain? Could be a tight link or excessively worn sprocket teeth. They can make some pretty weird sounds when they're past their useful life. If the bike is new to you and it's a low motor knock sound--like a rod bearing or piston slap--the DL650 motors were notorious for their "agricultural" motor noise. I bought mine used 9 years ago and was convinced for the first year or two that the motor was gonna grenade some day. Still going strong 40K miles later.

Once again, it sounds as if all the guns were legally obtained thru local gun shop owners. I don't understand, at least in this scenario, how a stricter licensing process that involves mental health evaluation will prevent a "one-and-done" shooting event. It's not the disheveled, drooling homeless guy that pulls this shit off--it's the "regular Joe" down the street, the quiet guy who keeps his yard nice and shares a beer with the neighbors who brings a whole new level of crazy to our society. No one--including a specialist in mental health--could have predicted this. By all accounts, he was law-abiding multi-millionaire who was fully involved in the fabric of his community: homeowner, investor, entrepreneur, pilot, retiree. It'll be interesting altho perhaps not completely definitive what the GF will reveal she knew about the last few months of this guy's life. Sounds like she must have at least been aware of his burgeoning arsenal, but that fact may not have been much of a tip-off to what transpired.

You should prolly schedule your ride for early in the day, so as to avoid any conflict with the scheduled rapture. http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-man-whose-biblical-doomsday-claim-has-some-nervously-eyeing-sept-23/ar-AAshl6v?li=BBmkt5R&ocid=spartanntp

Could be warped rotors--many big heavy superbikes are susceptible to overheating their rotors if subjected to high speed stops--but it might be something as simple as a rough, dirty or corroded spot on one or both rotors. Before you commit to spending $$$ on new parts, try using some brake cleaner and a fiberglass or copper scouring pad to thoroughly clean the surface of both rotors. Some folks use steel wool, but I've heard you can get some residue left from the steel pads that will create rust on the rotor surface.

2TT: Even though I was only a maybe for this trip, I'm gonna officially remove myself from the list. Just got back from our LocalRiders fall trip to Waynesville/BRMC and rode over 1600 miles of much the same route. Didn't get to the good stuff in GA--have to save that for next year--but got to run the Cherhola, BRP, 215, 276, 28, 80, 16, blahblahblah. Should be a great time to be down there if you can minimize your time stuck behind the leaf peepers in their RVs plunking along at 10 under the posted speed. Have fun and stay safe!

Mike, any XL left?

It certainly wouldn't be out of the question for an 11-12 year old sport bike with 40K hard miles to be in need of a new clutch. As others have noted above, if feels slow to accelerate but the RPMs are rising quickly, go clutch. If the bike feels slow to accelerate with throttle and the RPMs hold stable, you've got another issue--fuel/spark/???

Very nice. Was actually considering one for myself, but the models with the mid-controls are difficult to find and I'm not into the forward-control--or in that case, lack of control--style of riding. Congrats!

Don't know Jerry, but damn sorry to hear this. Seems to be a spate of the Big C going around my friend base lately. Two good friends have recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 colo-rectal cancer with metastases to the liver/bone/lung. One is a guy a few years older than me that I worked with and rode MCs with for decades--been on chemo doses of increasing potency for about 2 1/2 years, first folfox, then folfiri, now receiving erbitux in combination with Avastin--whose weight is down from +200# to 140#. The other is the wife of my good riding bud, diagnosed with colon cancer about a 1 1/2 years ago in her very early 50s. Same treatment course as above but with much lower efficacy, weight dropped under 90#. Hate watching the progression of the disease and cumulative effects of the chemo-toxicity. In these cases, neither the disease nor the treatment are pretty.... My best wishes to your friend Jerry for a successful surgery and quick recovery. The chemo treatment course will be more prolonged, but hopefully he will respond in a positive manner to the drug(s) and see a slow-down of the progression of the disease. Sending prayers!

'Murray thinks the bike’s steering locked up and caused him to lose control. “I love taking corners and I was only doing 40 mph and I went to lean into this turn and this bike would not let lean.”' LOL. Methinks it looked a whole lot like target fixation, panic braking, and inability to ride....all leading to one HELLUVA flight lesson!!!

Good looking bike. Based on the stated mileage at last service interval, am I correct to assume that the belts and valves are due to be done in another 1500 miles or so? I'm not a Ducatisti and not familiar with the required maintenance on these monsters. Just lusting out loud....

NP. I have heard some of the hard-core internet denizens complain about slow network. I'm an old guy who doesn't have a smartphone or tablet. I want a clean comfy bed to lie down in after a 12 hour riding day. If you're traveling with folks that "need" that kind of connectivity, maybe look elsewhere....

Tim: I've led a group of between 5 and 10 folks from LocalRiders from Cinti to Abingdon on our first day's ride to the BRMC for the last three years. Always stayed at the Super 8 there (Exit 17 off I-81) and had zero problems. If you're looking for hot tubs, swimming pools, workout rooms, and a 4-course breakfast, fuggedaboudit. But it's always been cheap, clean, no bed bugs, staff was efficient and personal at check-in/-out, and there's a free continental breakfast available. Easy access to gas/fast food/highway, no parking lot issues with security, and a big box store (Food City) within walking distance to pick up beer/wine/snacks. Unless things have changed dramatically since last September, I see no issue with booking there.